Walking Alongside: Counselling with Survivors of Domestic, Family & Sexual Violence - Rockhampton October 2026

"Deepening relational, trauma-informed practice in DFSV counselling through compassion, connection, and a commitment to healing." 

Developing therapeutic expertise in the domestic, family, and sexual violence (DFSV) space requires more than technical skill, it demands deep ethical commitment, relational sensitivity, and the capacity to work alongside complexity and trauma. This two-day workshop series invites counsellors, therapists, and other practitioners to reflect on their professional practice, strengthen core counselling skills, and engage in peer learning. Grounded in trauma-informed principles, the series fosters respectful, responsive, and relational practice that contributes to healing and recovery, while upholding the dignity and agency of those impacted by violence. 

Across the two days, participants will explore the beginning, middle, and ending phases of therapeutic work through an experiential and reflective lens.  

Day 1 focuses on early engagement, trust-building, and deepening the core counselling micro-skills that support safety and connection. It also considers how to hold hope, manage emotional intensity, and incorporate empowering therapeutic messages. 

Day 2 shifts focus to the practitioner, exploring wellbeing, self-compassion, and the role of supervision in sustaining ethical practice. The series concludes with a focus on endings in the therapeutic relationship, including attachment dynamics, emotional closure, and ways to honour progress and growth. 

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this two-day workshop series, participants will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate increased confidence in beginning and sustaining therapeutic engagement with clients impacted by DFSV, including building safety and trust in early sessions. 

2. Apply and deepen core counselling micro-skills (e.g. attending, active listening, reflection, and gentle challenge) in ways that are trauma-informed and responsive to complexity. 

3. Identify and integrate key therapeutic messages that support empowerment, cultural connection, and healing across the course of counselling. 

4. Reflect on the emotional and relational dynamics within therapeutic work, including transference, parallel process, and the practitioner’s own responses. 

5. Implement approaches to ending therapeutic relationships that are sensitive to attachment, grief, and the importance of acknowledging growth and progress. 

6. Critically reflect on practitioner wellbeing, including the role of supervision, self-compassion, and sustainable practice when working with trauma. 

Event Dates: 

Session One: Tuesday, 13th October 2026
Session Two: Wednesday, 14th October 2026

Time: 8:30am - 4:30pm (AEST time)
Location Quest Apartments Hotel, 48 Victoria Parade, Rockhampton, QLD, 4700.

Please note: This is a 2 part series. Participants should attend both sessions.

Who should attend:

These workshops are suitable for counsellors, social workers, and other practitioners working in the domestic, family, and sexual violence (DFSV) sector, or in related roles across the community services sector. 

It is relevant for practitioners working with adults, children, young people, and families impacted by DFSV who are seeking to deepen their understanding of trauma-informed, relational practice in the context of fear, coercion, and control. 

The workshops are designed to support both developing and more experienced practitioners to reflect on and strengthen their practice. 

About the facilitators:

Tania Felstead is an Accredited Social Worker with over 25 years of experience across the social welfare and human services sector. She has worked as a frontline practitioner, supervisor, manager, trainer, and consultant, and now operates her private practice, Wattle Tree Wellness. Through her work, Tania supports individuals, teams, and organisations to engage in ethical, reflective, and trauma-informed practice. She delivers supervision, counselling, coaching, and training with a strong focus on practitioner wellbeing, skill development, and relational, values-based practice in the context of trauma, violence, and complexity. 

Sue Kitchener is a proud Gadigal and Waradjuri woman living on Turrbal and Yuggera lands. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) and a Bachelor of Human Services. Sue has a long-standing career as a counsellor, team leader, and manager in the areas of domestic and family violence, sexual assault, child protection, and family preservation. She brings extensive experience in supervision, cultural support, and practitioner development, with a strong commitment to breaking the cycle of violence for First Nations women and children. 

Tania and Sue’s partnership brings together their experience and knowledge, cultural insight, and a shared commitment to healing, justice, and sustainable practice in the context of domestic, family, and sexual violence.